BRADY HENDERSON

Seahawks’ Russell Wilson mentions $25M during ESPN interview

Jun 30, 2015, 1:27 PM | Updated: 2:34 pm

"... no matter if it's $25 million or if it's $1.5 million," Russell Wilson told ESPN. "I'll be ready to go." (AP)

(AP)

We’ve reached the point with Russell Wilson’s contract situation where seemingly everything he says about the matter is parsed and made into a headline, the latest example coming Monday when the Seahawks quarterback sat down for an interview with ESPN. Wilson avoided saying anything of any great significance with the possibly of one exception, a mention of a $25-million-per-year salary.

Here’s the play-by-play of the pertinent portion of Wilson’s interview with ESPN reporter Marty Smith:

Smith: “Nobody’s won more than you in the last several years. We’ve seen what some of your peers have gotten on the market recently. Based on the current market for the quarterback and based on your resume, what do you deserve?”

“I don’t know,” Wilson said, laughing. “How much would you pay me, Marty?”

Smith: “You have a Super Bowl and you took them to another Super Bowl.”

Wilson: “I think ultimately it comes down to the play. Just let my play speak for itself and let the rest take care of itself, continue to love the game for what it is and continue to fight, continue to play no matter how much I’m getting paid, no matter if it’s $25 million or if it’s $1.5 million. I’ll be ready to go.”

Wilson is set to make roughly $1.5 million in the final year of his rookie deal, which he and his agent have expressed a willingness to play out in the absence of what they feel is a suitable offer from the Seahawks. And $25 million? Perhaps it was a figure that randomly came to Wilson’s mind at that moment. Perhaps it’s the yearly average that he’s seeking from the Seahawks. That would top the $22 million average of Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and would make Wilson the league’s highest-paid player, which he is reportedly seeking to become.

Wilson was then asked about his relationship with the Seahawks.

“It’s great. I don’t think it’s a bad relationship by any means,” he said. “We’ve won a Super Bowl. I’ve had an opportunity to win the first Super Bowl in franchise history. I obviously want to stay in Seattle. I love Seattle. It’s a great place, a place that I arrived on May 10, 2012. I’ll never forget that day. I’ll never forget April 27 when I was drafted in the third round, 75th pick overall.

“I trust the process. I trust the process of it all. I’m going to do everything I can to put the work in and let the rest speak for itself. When it’s all done and my career is over – hopefully 17 years from now – I can look back and hopefully it’s a job well done. That’s all I can do. That’s all I can ask for is give it my all every day. It will work out if I do that.”

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